Driver killed when truck runs off SC road and crashes into tree, cops say
One person was killed late Saturday night when a pickup truck crashed in Lexington County, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Kai Lin Earl Maroney, a 44-year-old Leesville resident, is the driver who died in what Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher called an accident.
The single-vehicle collision happened at about 11:25 p.m., said Lance Cpl. Brittany Glover of the Highway Patrol.
Maroney was driving a 2022 Toyota Tacoma east on Fairview Road in the Leesville area of Lexington County, according to Glover. Near the intersection with North Edisto Road the pickup ran off the left side of Fairview Road and hit an embankment before crashing into a tree, Glover said.
Maroney, who was the only person in the pickup, died at the scene, according to Glover.
No other injuries were reported.
Maroney was wearing a seatbelt, Fisher said.
Information about what caused the pickup to veer off the road was not available, but the crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol and coroner’s office.
Through Dec. 21, at least 861 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2025, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 948 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.
At least 39 people have died in Lexington County crashes in 2025, according to DPS data. There were 50 deaths in the county in 2024, DPS reported.
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This story was originally published December 28, 2025 at 9:47 AM.
